The invention generally relates to pressure compensation in a hydraulic steering system.
Conventional hydraulic steering systems use a power steering pump to provide pressurized hydraulic fluid to a steering gear. As a driver applies an increasing level of torque to a steering valve integrated in the steering gear, the power steering pump responds by increasing hydraulic pressure on the steering gear. A magnetic torque overlay system was has been developed that incorporates a magnetic actuator into the valve assembly.
The magnetic actuator in the valve assembly provides further potential for controlling the hydraulic system through additional automated algorithms. Implementation of these additional algorithms requires the steering pressure to accurately represent the torque applied by the driver. Present solutions require close matching of components within the pressure sensor channels which can increase the time of calibration of a hydraulic system.
Accordingly, it is desirable to calibrate the pressure sensor without matching pressure channels at the time of assembly or manufacture.